Means for opening tin cans



\NVENTOR Whorleif s'l'okke HI'SHTTORNEY.

Filed April 4, 1921 T STOKKE MEANS FOR OPENING TIN CANS June 3, R924 1,496,437

T. STOKKE MEANS FOR OPENING 'rm CANS,

Filed April 4, 1921 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl zz 1 1- 12;

I r H INVENTOR Thorleif Stokke m5 ATTORNEY.

1 ally Patented June 3, i924.

EQE.

THORLETF STO'KKE, OF HILLEVAAG, NEAR STAVANGEB, NORWAY.

means roe. ornnrne rm cans.

Application filed April 4, 1921. Serial No. 458,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, THoRLnIF residing at Hillevaag, near Stavanger, Norway, have invented a new and useful Means for Opening Tin Cans, of which the following is a specification.

For opening tin cans openers have been used which are provided with a knife edge,

and which by being swun forward and backward while resting against the seamed edge of the lid and at .the same time being gradually slid along. the seamed edge are pressed against the lid thereby cutting through it. In order to cut the lid which is not weakened in this case, the edge of the opener must be fairly sharp and therefore the opener must usually be made of steel. A purpose of the present invention is to provide an opener of this character which is adapted to effect an opening in tins having a cover provided with a-weakened margindisposed line. The operation of opening cans provided with this type of a weakened line is relatively easy and the opener requires no sharp edge and therefore can be made of iron, whereby it becomes considerably cheaper than the openers of this kind used up to now.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawi n Fig. 1 shows the lid of a seamed can with the weakened line. A

Figs. 2 and 3, and 4 and 5 show two different constructions of openers and their application. The can, in these fi res, is shown by thin lines in section a ong the line A B in Fig. 1 and at right angles thereto.

Figs. 6-9 are sections along the line AB in Fig. 1, showing on aslarger scale details of di erent weakened arrangements.

Fig. 10 shows in the same way a somewhat difierent weakening arrangement, and,

Figs. 11 and 12 show a construction of the corresponding opener. Fig. 13 is also a section along the line A-B, showing another variatlon of the weakened arrangement and the corresponding opener. g

The seamed edge is indloated by 1 and the weakened line by 2;

With the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the opener consists of a plate 3 of sheet metal, the projection 4 of which catches under the seamed edge 1. The upper part of the late 3 carries at right angles a wing 5 whic pierces the lid along the STOKKE,

' ing the o ener in which wil weakened line 2, when the opener, while resting with the projectioi'r l against the seamed edge, is swung in the direction of the arrow 6. By swinging the opener in this way forward and backward, at the same time sliding it backward along the seamed edge (to the right in Fig. 3) the can is opened.

The opener shown in Figs. 45 consists of a plate of sheet metal in the middle part of which the projection 8 is punched out, while the upper part 9 is bent at right angles thereto. The opener is swung around the seamed edge as indicated by the arrow 10 and the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The edge 9 is thereby pressed through'the lid along the weakening line. Here also the further opening takes place by swinging the opener forward and backward, at the same time sliding it along the seamed edge.

The weakened line 2 is preferably pressed 2 edge serves as a convenient guide for the opener. In Fig. 9 such guide is formed by the seamed edge itself, the weakened line bein arranged close to the same. In Fig. 10 t e weakened line is arranged on the underside of the crest of a ridge 13, pressed upward in the lid. The opening here is effected by exerting a pressure on the top of the ridge, which will be burst thereby.

A construction of the corresponding opener is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The opener is formed of a plate 14 of sheet metal, the projection 15 of which catches under the seamed. edge in the same way as shown in Fig. 2. Here also the plate 14 carries at right. angles a wing 16, which in this case however is situated horizontally parallel to the upper edge of the ridge 13. By swingthe direction of the arrow 17 the win 16 is pressed against the ridge, be burstthereby along the weakened line. Here also the further opening takes place by swinging the opener for ward and backward, at the same time slid:

ing it along the seamed edge.

With the weakened arrangements shown in Figs. 6-8 the opening may also be performed by pressing the opener against the edge 12, rising from the weakening line. To-

make this edge more yielding it is preferable in that case to arrange a ridge 18 which is pressed upward in the lid parallel to the weakening line, as shown in Fig. 13.

The opener 19 is here provided with two claws 20 and 21, facing each other, one of which catches under the seamed edge, thereby supporting the opener while the latter is swung in the direction of the arrow 22. The other claw 21 will then press against the in ner edge 12 of the ridge, rising from the weakened line, thereby tearing the tin along the weakened line. Here also the further opening takes place by swinging the opener forward and backward, and sliding it along the seamed edge.

The arrangement of the weakened line and the construction of the opener may of course be varied in other ways than are described here, without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Means for opening tins having a cover provided with a known weakened line running parallel to the seamed edge of the tin, comprising an opener adapted to be pressed against the said cover and capable of being swung forwardly and backwardly and with a portion thereof engaged against the under side of the seam, said opener being provided with a blunt pressing edge disposed so as to engage the said cover adjacent the weakened line by gradually being slid along the said seamed edge, said opener in its move ments being adapted to separate the cover along the weakened line.

2. Means for opening tins, as claimed in claim 1, in which the said blunt pressing edge of the opener engages the outer surface of the cover having the said weakened line disposed in the under surface thereof. along the lower edge of a surface rising from the weakened line, said latter surface. being formed by pressing the cover upwardly and downwardly along the weakened line.

3. Means for opening tins, comprising a flat member having a projection to engage under the seam in the periphery of a cover, the said member being provided with an angular portion projecting beyond said pro jection and provided with a blunt transverse edge adapted to be forced against a weale ened line in the cover and parallel to the seam, said blunt edge being inclined towards its free end in an upwardly direction with respect to a line perpendicular to the flat member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THORLEIF s'roKKm.

Witnesses LARS ARMAR FJUDSDA, OSKAR NASHM. 

